Here’s what troubled St. Augustine woman told priest before puncturing his lung with a knife

“Excuse me, sir.”

That was the polite phrase Arieana Gibbs muttered to Fr. Matthew Marino before suddenly plunging a knife below his collarbone and puncturing his lung, according to new information released by the St. Augustine Police Department.

Gibbs, 22, is now facing attempted murder charges after a violent rampage through the Old City early Wednesday morning.

Marino, of Trinity Parish Church, and a friend were chatting as they sat at a table outside Juniper Market on San Marco Ave. at about 8:05 a.m. when Gibbs approached on her bicycle.

She then made the disarming comment before swinging a black handled knife at his chest.

“The victim and his friend were able to fight off the defendant before she could do more harm,” the incident report says.

As Gibbs fled, the two men tried to stop her by kicking at her bike, according to police and court papers.

Moments later, Marino collapsed. The stab wound was so deep that it pierced his lung and caused internal bleeding, which affected his ability to breathe, officials said.

He suffered a collapsed lung but is now in stable condition.

“Without life-saving efforts by EMTs on scene, the victim very well could have died,” the police report says.

A quick-thinking witness snapped photos of Gibbs fleeing on her bicycle. Gibbs also allegedly left her cellphone at the scene.

Shortly before the attack on Marino, Gibbs is accused of trying to stab a McDonald’s employee with the same knife.

At roughly 8 a.m., she entered the McDonald’s on N. Ponce de Leon Blvd. and approached an employee cleaning out the soda machine.

“Can you help me with something?” asked Gibbs, who then grabbed the woman’s arm and pulled out a knife, court papers allege.

“Before the defendant was able to stab the victim, the victim was able to fight the defendant off and run to the back of the store to alert other workers,” the filing says.

Several staffers and customers witnessed the altercation. Gibbs didn’t know either of her victims, and the attacks were random, authorities said.

Police were able to use Gibbs’ cellphone and the photos snapped by a witness of her fleeing to apprehend her within two hours of the attacks.

Gibbs appeared in court Thursday on charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and felony battery.

Prosecutors argued in a motion for detention that Gibbs is a danger to the community and should not be released. They also noted that she has a prior battery conviction in St. Johns County.

“The defendant’s behavior is escalating,” noted State Attorney R.J. Larizza in the motion for detention. “When coupled with the randomness of the attacks within such a short amount of time, the defendant’s behavior becomes particularly concerning for the citizens of St. Johns County.”

Judge Lee Smith granted the request.